The Prayer of Jabez

A few weeks ago, I was looking for something inspirational in the house to read, and my wife handed me this book; The Prayer of Jabez: Breaking Through to the Blessed Life, by Bruce Wilkinson.  Published in 2000, it is based on the Old Testament passage 1 Chronicles 4:9-10

Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez, saying, "I gave birth to him in pain." Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, saying, "Oh that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain." And God granted his request. (NIV)

In the book, Wilkinson encourages Christians to invoke this prayer for themselves on a daily basis: "I challenge you to make the Jabez prayer for blessing part of the daily fabric of your life. To do that, I encourage you to follow unwaveringly the plan outlined here for the next thirty days. By the end of that time, you'll be noticing significant changes in your life, and the prayer will be on its way to becoming a treasured, lifelong habit."

I have to admit I didn't pray this prayer for a month, only a couple of weeks (prior to this blog starting).  Humm, I wonder if they're connected??  I urge anyone to read this book who wants to expand the circle of influence of their life, in bringing others to God.  To find it, search your favorite book seller with the title or ISBN-13: 978-1590524756.

By Andrew